Creators of “participatory defense” – a community organizing model for people facing charges, their families, and communities to impact the outcome of cases and transform the landscape of power in the court system

Congrats to Jonathan Rapping for Winning McArthur Genius Award!

Our friend, colleague, and mentor Jonathan Rapping has just received a McArthur Genius Award! Rapping and the Gideon’s Promise team are revolutionizing public defense in this country by both being innovative and forward thinking, yet deeply embedded in the traditions and values of America’s civil rights movement. Check out the piece we wrote on Rapping last year, Gideon’s Army Deserves Back Up. We have been honored to partner with Rapping to train his lawyers at Gideon’s Promise gatherings in Atlanta and North Carolina on our social biography video concept. Below is a pic of Rap with Fernando a couple months back at Wake Forest Law School. Congrats to Rapping and the Gideon’s Promise team! Click the image to see the video on Rapping on the McArthur website.